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julierems.bsky.social
@julierems.bsky.social
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julierems.bsky.social
LSL is not a language.
LSL IS NOT A LANGUAGE I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE CEASE USING THE TERM "LISTENING AND SPEAKING LANGUAGE" (LSL) IN SCHOOLS AND HOMES, AS IT IS NOT A LANGUAGE. IT IS MISLEADING AND A BRANDED NAME OWNED BY AN ORAL-ONLY ORGANIZATION. WE NEED TO RETURN TO WHAT IT REALLY IS -SPEECH OR ORALISM. IF YOU WANT TO REFER TO THE LANGUAGE A DEAF CHILD IS SPEAKING, SIMPLY SAY "SPOKEN ENGLISH," "SPOKEN SPANISH," OR WHATEVER LANGUAGE THE CHILD IS USING. IT IS MORE ACCURATE TO SAY SPEAKING AND LISTENING METHODS OR TOOLS (LSM OR LST).
January 16, 2025 at 10:05 PM
julierems.bsky.social
We need to talk about performative inclusion in special education.
Performative Inclusion In Special Education, many well-intentioned individuals create policies, assessment tools, projects, and even develop IEP goals for children with disabilities, including deaf and hard of hearing children, without including people with disabilities and deaf individuals-the true experts with lived experience-in the process. Often, individuals with disabilities and deaf people are brought in as an afterthought, asked to provide their expertise once the policies, projects, or IEP goals have already been developed. Unfortunately, by that point, these initiatives cannot be fixed with simple "band-aid" solutions. Despite good intentions, performative inclusion often causes more harm than good.
January 15, 2025 at 5:42 PM
julierems.bsky.social
Inclusivity as an Afterthough Inclusivity as an afterthought highlights the missed opportunity for genuine, early inclusion, emphasizing that the policies, projects, lEP goals, despite their good intentions, cannot easily be retrofitted with fixes or "band-aid solutions" at this stage. The word "inclusivity" is often misleading because it is defined by able-bodied, hearing individuals, resulting in attempts at inclusion that are ultimately incomplete. Tokenism does not solve the inclusion issue because it reduces inclusion to a superficial or symbolic gesture, rather than a meaningful, systemic change. Tokenism is not inclusion.
January 15, 2025 at 5:36 PM
julierems.bsky.social
Tokenism Does Not Solve the Inclusion Issue When people with disabilities and deaf individuals are included only as tokens-whether through a one-time consultation, a token representative in a meeting, or a quick mention in a policy-it fails to address the underlying barriers and inequities they face. Tokenism lacks power and agency. Tokenism often involves giving disabled people and deaf individuals a seat at the table but without real power or decision-making authority. This makes their participation performative, with little to no impact on the policies, projects, or decisions being made. Tokenism is exclusion in practice
January 15, 2025 at 5:34 PM
julierems.bsky.social
Tokenism Excludes Lived Experience Tokenism often fails to truly incorporate the lived experiences of disabled and deaf people, instead focusing on abstract or theoretical representations of inclusion. Real inclusion means integrating disabled communities and deaf communities into every step of the process, from planning to decision-making, based on their expertise and lived realities. To truly address inclusion, it requires structural changes, ongoing collaboration, and the dismantling of ableism, audism, and vidism in systems, policies, and attitudes. Tokenism merely scratches the surface, while real inclusion involves sustained engagement and empowerment of disabled and deaf communities. Nothing about us without us!
January 15, 2025 at 5:32 PM
julierems.bsky.social
We Deserve Better than "Band-aid" Solutions Tokenism often relies on stereotypes or oversimplified views of disability and deatness, rather than recognizing the diversity of experiences within disabled and deaf communities. This can reinforce harmful assumptions and create more barriers, offering only temporary or surface-level solutions. Token efforts may provide short-term visibility or acknowledgment, but they don't lead to the deeper, structural changes needed for true inclusion. Without a systemic approach, these efforts simply act as "band-aids" that fail to address the root causes of exclusion. It's time for people of disabled communities and deaf communities to lead special education and deaf education.
January 15, 2025 at 5:29 PM
julierems.bsky.social
January 15, 2025 at 5:04 PM